Libellés

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

War?!

If you watched the French news, you may have heard that once again our country is almost under siege! Due to the new law about retirement (we will have to work two more years starting 2018), people have started demonstrating, then going on strike and now the country is almost paralyzed. It is now very difficult - if not impossible - to find gas/petrol and they say that soon food will also be short. I did not really think the situation was as bad as what they said on television, but this morning I have been unable to fill the tank of my scooter... I'm not too worried about not being able to fill my stomach though, as I have some spare energy around my waist!

I agree with Carrie, I don't understand why 2 years is such an issue. I'm 59 this year and already I'm not looking forward to having to retire at 65. Hopefully, I can keep working. France needs this to save the economy and her future.

Yikes, Eric. I remember the panic here when we had a gas shortage right after a hurricane. How are Parisians handling it? Is the metro running? Are people stocking up on food? I'm thinking of you! Keep us posted!

By the way, my friends, this coming weekend, I will be able to welcome my French pen pal for a short visit. She and I began writing to each other when we each were fourteen years old, and now we're forty! It has been seventeen years since we've seen each other, and this will be her first time to visit me. :)

The year of retirement is, indeed, a complex issue. Comparing the U.S. policies to French policies on this is not really valid, as so many other policies are related: taxes, health care, just to name a couple. Each society makes choices, and many choices are affected by other choices. It is a large system of policies, and picking one or two for comparison doesn't work logically. Please, leave these bad comparisons to dishonest politicians...who make me pale in the face like the wig of Bach, man.

I did hear about the petrol situation & the strikes. I also heard that there aren't enough jobs too - which makes me wonder how making people delay their retirement would make a difference if there is no place to work anyway - other than perhaps the government not giving people any benefits.who exactly is winning in this situation?It just seems awful. I do hope the strikes make a positive difference in the end.

I guess politicians are the same everywhere. Just hope everything is back to normal in March when I am bringing my friends to Paris for 10 days. Between the terrorist threats and the riots, my friends are getting nervous. Guess we should all head over to Seoul where things seem to be going great.

I find this whole situation very interesting. I've commented on a post of Michael's, saying that being able to retire at 62 would be dreamy! I know I have a different perspective than those who are involved in it in France, but I must say, it seems like 2 years is not that much. I also posted that they can move to America, pay for health care, university, have 40 hour work weeks, less vacation, and retire at the earliest....63! By the time I am able to retire, it will probably be 70! It is true, you don't know how blessed you are until you meet someone less fortunate than you. And believe me, I am blessed and I know it!!

I was going to make a joke about the French always being on strike. But after reading everyone's comments, it doesn't seem so funny. I hope the situation can be resolved, but if I knew what to do, I guess I'd have a Nobel prize by now.

I must admit that the situation there is very intersting to me. Here I am, right at your retirement age and I'm still working and will probably do so for another 10 years. I could ditto Christie's comments (above) word for word.

I also have trouble understanding the furor over raising the already quite low retirement age in France. But then of course, I don't know what other policies are intertwined with that one. Here's hoping the strike doesn't last too long and the situation gets resolved.

Well, I agree with the others that 62 is not much. In Poland men retire at 65 and women at 60. Another question is how much money we will be getting as a pension, maybe it is better to work after all ?...

As Jeff said, it's such a complex issue, and ultimately a highly 'French' affair, and we as foreigners are really highly unqualified to comment with any sort of authority. After all, France is a civilised, developed country at the heart of modern democracy, and if 'they' are doing this in their millions, or even simply tolerating it, then there is most to be learned by simply observing and seeing what happens as opposed to criticising or trying to find solutions. A lazy approach, maybe, but about the only one I can see which makes any sense.

I WATCHED THE DEMONSTRATION ON RUE ST jACQUES from my hotel window yesterday and the amount of people were amazing to see. Today, I just heard the news that they are blocking the access to the airport(CDG). Maybe I will be "stuck" here forever??? I Wanna go home today!!!!!

Coucou, I'm just feeling like out of gas myself right now (because of a big work day) but my car is okay ! What does the French government do in this case ?!Lol ...Seriously, I like your clarification Eric as it means I will have to work even after you ;-) On another note, today is 20. 10. 2010 or 2010 2010, isn't it nice ?I like to think of that even if it has really no effect on my day and no relation with this photo !

From your last comment, Eric, it sounds like those who took the trouble to go to University or graduate school before entering the work force will now be punished by not having access to a full pension until an older age. This does sound unfair. A complicated mess, when the world's economy is in such terrible shape.

@Petrea. "From your last comment, Eric, it sounds like those who took the trouble to go to University or graduate school before entering the work force will now be punished by not having access to a full pension until an older age. This does sound unfair. A complicated mess, when the world's economy is in such terrible shape."

Very interesting comment. Here people who went to university are not considered as "those who took the trouble to go to University or graduate school before entering the work force" like you put it, but as "people who where lucky enough to study"So, the general idea is that if you studied it is very likely that you have a good job and therefore are less in a hurry to retire...

There is a huge cultural gap in this regard between the US and France.